I do not own Tenchi Muyo or its characters, but this is MY story! Hahaha! Ok...I'm normal again. Alright, this is going to be a sad story for a while. I cried while writing the last few chapters...lol. Enjoy and please R/R!


I'll Never Forget


Chapter 4

 Ryoko fled out into the night, the rain beat down upon her as she ran; lightening and thunder crackled menacingly in the distance. 'Maybe she's right…' Ryoko thought hopelessly as she tore through the woods crying, 'I am the cause of all this. If I never came…he would never had forgotten. He wouldn't have had anything to forget.' The woman sighed and brushed a few drops of rain from her eyes, yet they continued to fall and add to her own fresh rivers of tears.

The sky was so dark, for the night had come. Yet it was no change from the day. This storm seemed to mask time itself. Ryoko had no idea what to do. She had no reason to go back to the house, no reason to stay here. 'I knew from the moment we forged our friendship; I was bound to this world, bound to this life, bound to you. I cannot walk away even if I tried. Even if I wanted to. That's how deep my love is for you.' Ryoko's words echoed in her mind, and were suddenly swept away with the powerful wind that surged through the forest, disrupting everything.

"So much for our friendship. So much for us, Tenchi. Now that there is nothing left between us…there is nothing to keep me here. I think leaving would be the best for all of us. Even if I do loathe Ayeka. She can make you happy. And without me to fight with her, maybe your life will be even better," Ryoko said as she continued to walk through the woods. Fallen trees and leaves were everywhere; the storm had forced the woods and the area into destruction. It was a complete mess and the trees swayed so hard from the wind they nearly bent straight in half. "I hope you'll be happy, Tenchi…if you ever remember." Ryoko gave the Masaki home once last, long look before she turned her back to it and walked away.

*~*~*

"Will somebody please tell me what's going on?!" Tenchi exclaimed as he sat back down on his head and ran his hands through his hair anxiously.

"Tenchi, I am trying to explain this to you. You live here at this shrine in the town of Okayama, which is where you are now. These women, whom of which we met over time, are you friends who have become apart of our family."

"So let me get this straight, you're Ayeka, the Jurain Princess, Sasami is her sister, Washu is the universe's greatest mad scientist, Kiyone and Mihoshi are Galaxy Police, you're my grandfather…" Tenchi continued. Everything he saw was unfamiliar, so distant and frightening. His memories were completely erased and everyone was becoming increasingly concerned the more they spoke with him.

"Yes, yes Tenchi," Ayeka smiled taking his hands lightly, "I'm Ayeka. Your girl-

"Ayeka!" Sasami scolded her hands on her hips. Ayeka smiled sheepishly at her sister and took her hands from Tenchi.

"This is all so crazy…but why is it I don't remember. But that other girl…she told me things…it was so fuzzy when she spoke, but it reminded me of something. Something I should know but I forgot. Something about that girl…" Tenchi commented quietly.

"Ryoko? Was Ryoko with you, Tenchi?" Washu asked softly.

"I think that was her name, and she kept crying because I didn't remember. I just don't know what I'm going to do." Tenchi looked out of his bedroom window and sighed. "I just don't know."

"Tenchi, listen to me. Why don't you get some rest and let the world drift away for a bit. Don't think and just concentrate on staying strong. Everything will be alright, I promise," Sasami said with a warm smile as she tugged at his arm. Tenchi turned and looked upon her.

"Thank you, Miss Sasami."

*~*~*

A few hours passed and the clock on the living room mantle read about 11:30 by then. Ayeka, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Washu were sitting on the couches, sipping at their tea in silence. Mihoshi kept nodding off to sleep, Kiyone was lost in thought, and Washu and Ayeka were talking quietly. "Washu, do you think things will be alright?" the Princess asked pushing a few stray hairs from her eyes.

The emerald-eyed professor looked at her and shrugged, "To be honest, with the information I've gathered from Tenchi, his illness is very unusual. To become so sick out of the blue and lose your entire memory is totally bizarre. All we can do is hope and pray that his memory comes back to him. Or until then, at least work with him to regain his knowledge of the world."

"Yes, and now that Ryoko is off, running away for good, we will be able to set the record straight," Ayeka murmured. "Things will go the way they were supposed to."

"Ayeka, I can't believe you're acting like this. You're not the only one losing a friend; we have all suffered and are continuing to mourn Tenchi's illness. And all you can think about is making Tenchi think that you were to be together and that Ryoko was never apart of his life. I am ashamed of you!" Kiyone spoke up. Ayeka blushed furiously and looked away.

"She was no good!"

"She meant everything to Tenchi!" Mihoshi moaned. Everyone looked at her in surprise.

Ayeka looked at her in anger, "WHAT?!" They looked over to find the blonde totally asleep, speaking from her dreamland of gibberish. "This is pointless. I am just looking out for Tenchi's sake! After all Kiyone, no one knows how Ryoko found him or what made him so ill. Do you really believe that Ryoko could be innocent after all of the stunts she's pulled around here before?"

"Ayeka. Ryoko, she would never hurt Tenchi like this. None of us would ever hurt him. We each love him too much. And the more we fight and force corruption into our friendships, the harder it will be to help him to become well again," Washu said gently. Ayeka nodded and looked out the large room windows.

"I have a feeling things are only going to get worse," she sighed.

"Ayeka, I'm worried about Sasami," Kiyone spoke up. "I know she acts hopeful and stays strong; she even cooks for all of us throughout this whole ordeal. But I know she's hurting and scared. Ayeka, your sister is very upset and no matter how well she's concealing it, I think you should talk to her."

"Sasami cares about everyone. Tenchi is like her brother. I see what you mean, and I shall take the initiative to do so," Ayeka agreed. A deep, earth-shaking roll of thunder rattled through the house. The girls looked around at one another and shivered.

*~*~*

Ryoko wandered throughout the night, rubbing her sleeveless arms furiously, trying to force warmth into her aching body. She'd been walking all night and the storm had only imposed fatigue and deep sorrow upon her soul. The woman was deep within the shadowed woods, without a compass or any sort of map. She was lost in a maze of darkness…she was lost in her heart. She didn't have one anymore. Grandpa had warned them he might not remember…but the impact hadn't hit until Tenchi shook her violently and demanded answers. He truly did not know her…and anything he had felt before was gone, and probably forever.


"Why am I crying like this?" Ryoko demanded as she jumped up into a tree and nestled deep within its leave-adorned branches for warmth and shield from the storm. "I am Ryoko…the great Space Pirate! I may have left those days behind…but I'm still me. I still powers that could destroy a planet…I can still take back my life, if necessary…by force. But I just have no will to live anymore. Tenchi was my connection to the human soul. He made me real. Not a thief from space…but a real person. He was my friend. I fell in love with him the first day we spoke…and even if those days are gone…"

Ryoko was finally overcome from worry and strict fatigue and drifted into a deep, dark sleep. The protection from the storm inside the tree was comforting, but nothing compared to home. Still, where was her home? If Tenchi wasn't there to remember her, there was no reason to stay.

But she wasn't prepared to give up completely was she? No…there were still things to take care of before she truly left. She had to say goodbye…no. There was no one to say goodbye to, except maybe Sasami. But she didn't need any more stress. Besides she was working hard enough to care of Tenchi. That was all he needed right now. Was a few caring people to take vigil and help him to live again. Not her sobbing and crying every second at his amnesia. Especially when in her heart, Ryoko believe herself to be the cause of his sickness. And now, she would pay the ultimate price for loving Tenchi.

Losing him.